(As for) those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised.

Our Lord is not America! Our Lord is not Britain, our Lord is not Israel, our Lord is God. Hence, why should we be afraid? Why should we grieve? They are not worthy of our fear. With what do they threaten us?

Why should we be frightened by their threats? This year I shall be sixty-three-years old. The Holy Prophet was sixty-three-years old when he passed away (the audience weeps). Hazrat `Ali ibn Abi Talib was sixty-three-years old when he was martyred (the audience weeps). Why should we fear them? We are followers of the Holy Prophet; we are followers of Hazrat `Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (pbuh); we are followers of `Ali, the Commander of the Faithful (pbuh); we are followers of Hazrat Husayn, the father of `Abdullah. Why be afraid? . . . Prepare yourselves for imprisonment; prepare yourselves for military service; prepare yourselves for blows and insults; prepare yourselves to endure the hardships which await Husayn, the father of `Abdullah. Why be afraid? . . . Prepare yourselves for imprisonment; prepare yourselves for military service; prepare yourselves for blows and insults; prepare yourselves to endure the hardships which await

 

you in your defense of Islam and independence. Brace yourselves for incarceration, for being sent into exile, for being drafted into the army, for having your turbans removed, for . . .

---

 1- Sura Ha Mim (Abbreviated Letters), verse 30.

2-  Barrasi va Tahlili az Nihzat-i Imam Khomeini, Vol. 1, p.310. Some of the phrases quoted here have been extracted from interviews conducted with trustworthy people who were among the audience and who were thus present at the scene.